Located one mile west of the central business district of Marshall, Minnesota, the Southwest Minnesota Regional Airport primarily conducts general aviation services that include business operations, cargo delivery, and medical transport.
The airport recently underwent a nearly 15-year development process that resulted in the extension of the main 7,220-ft runway; the construction of a 4,000-ft crosswind runway, arrival and departure facilities for pilots, and parallel taxiways; and designation of multiple areas to be used for later development. The new development area, located east of the airport, will allow the airport to accommodate more commercial and private development in the future, a move that could generate revenue and expand transportation operations, says airport manager Glenn Olson.
In April, the expansion project won the Key General Aviation Airport 2014 Project of the Year award from the Minnesota Council of Airports.
“I think that award really acknowledged the work done to expand commercial operations in Southwest Minnesota,” Olson said. “The expansion project was ultimately important for future transportation opportunities in the area.”
The airport currently boasts a number of commercial operations, including Schwan Food Company, which has been a major tenant of the airport since the late 1990s. Olson said Schwan has always been instrumental in airport development projects, especially the construction of the arrival–departure buildings as well as the development of several hangars.
Charter First, operated by Midwest Aviation, is the airport’s fixed-base operator and conducts private charter flights across the U.S. and Canada. Olson said Midwest Aviation has also been highly instrumental in the development of airport facilities, specifically construction of hangars and maintenance operations. Charter First also operates a training program for new pilots, conducts an on-site ag-spraying operation, and commercial and transportation opportunities in Southwest Minnesota.
“The airport is a wonderful facility,” he says. “It’s really a gem in this part of the state.”
